Objectives
The objective of this study is to understand how to produce organic products, compliant to international certifications, while assuring the sustainability of the farmers’ lives through the example of the Suminter India Organics Corporation. We will see in particular how technology is required to sustain a mode of production which apparently requires no addition of technology.
Overview
Agriculture in India faces at least two problems, that of the environment preservation and that of farmers’ welfare.
Suminter India Organics is a supplier of certified organic products from India to Europe and the US. The main motor behind Suminter's business is that it can maximize value capture by being a totally integrated Indian owned supply chain firm. Its business model is based on the premise that by providing sufficient training as well as organic certification to Indian farmers it can, on the one hand, provide clients with best quality products and, on the other hand, enable farmers to reach a decent level of living through agriculture while paying them over market prices.
The objective of this study is to understand how to produce organic products, compliant to international certifications, while assuring the sustainability of the farmers’ lives through the example of the Suminter India Organics Corporation. We will see in particular how technology is required to sustain a mode of production which apparently requires no addition of technology.
Overview
Agriculture in India faces at least two problems, that of the environment preservation and that of farmers’ welfare.
Suminter India Organics is a supplier of certified organic products from India to Europe and the US. The main motor behind Suminter's business is that it can maximize value capture by being a totally integrated Indian owned supply chain firm. Its business model is based on the premise that by providing sufficient training as well as organic certification to Indian farmers it can, on the one hand, provide clients with best quality products and, on the other hand, enable farmers to reach a decent level of living through agriculture while paying them over market prices.
Suminter's main aims are :
- build a strong relationship with farmers
- follow then up in the conversion process by providing the necessary inputs
- continuously monitor the production process in order to make sure of the quality of the products
- process and package the products to be exported
- distribute them on international markets
Approach
We will examine:
- The process of organic certification, and the dynamics of this organic business model
- The necessity of a coordinating corporation to this model
- Alternatives to this exporting effort, namely local production, and its ability to bring stability to the farmers.
- build a strong relationship with farmers
- follow then up in the conversion process by providing the necessary inputs
- continuously monitor the production process in order to make sure of the quality of the products
- process and package the products to be exported
- distribute them on international markets
Approach
We will examine:
- The process of organic certification, and the dynamics of this organic business model
- The necessity of a coordinating corporation to this model
- Alternatives to this exporting effort, namely local production, and its ability to bring stability to the farmers.
There is always a risk of cheating/gaming the system. hence, a self policing mechanism like FabIndia(where producers own a good stake) is a good idea to explore for coordinating.
ReplyDeleteYou may compare the functioning of Suminter India Organics Corporation with other international exporting organizations to comment on possible improvements for it
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